The Dogs began their week in Duncan on Wednesday night and it wasn’t a pretty start for the Dogs as the Caps came out flying and the Dogs were flat as flat gets down 3-0 just three minutes into the game. It was 1-0 Capitals on a faceoff win in the Dogs end in the first minute as Troy Patterson blasted a high point shot past Matt Larose. Matt Brown got the only assist just 47 seconds into the game. It was 2-0 Capitals two minutes later as Vinny Muto was allowed to walk in on goal on the rush where he beat Larose short-side for an un-assisted marker 2:31 in. Less than a minute later the Caps connected on the power play as Brett Knowles jammed in a loose puck at the side of the net off an end-board bounce on a missed point shot by Darrin Robak. Matt Brown also picked up an assist at 3:25 of the first. It was a 4-0 game just five minutes later as Steven Iacobellis found his own rebound after a first save by Matt Larose and jammed it home. Assists on the play went to Keyler Bruce and Logan Proulx at the 8:39 mark of the first as Matt Larose was replaced by Max Fenkell. He wouldn’t fare much better though as the Capitals kept up the pressure, making it 5-0 less than two minutes later as Matt Brown scored from in tight with assists to Devin Gannon and Brett Knowles at 10:35 of the first as that would be it for the scoring after 20 minutes with the Capitals holding a commanding lead. The Bulldogs would come out and play a much better second period – or the Capitals would take their foot off the gas, or maybe it was a combination of both but the Dogs ended up winning the period 1-0 and trailing 5-1 after 40 minutes as they connected on the power play for the only goal of the period when Evan Tironese won a faceoff in the Caps zone that Tyler Berkholtz sent back to the line for Turner Popoff who scored his first career goal with a low slap shot that found its way home at 11:28 of the second. The only goal the rest of the way was another Bulldog power play marker late in the game when Walker Hyland sent Josh Mitchell in on a partial breakaway down the right wing. Dun would make the first save but he couldn’t find the rebound as Lars Hepso jammed it home with 1:55 to play for the 5-2 final.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 27-22 with Matt Larose taking the loss stopping 2 of 6 shots before Max Fenkell stopped 15 of 16 in relief while Derek Dun picked up the win for the Capitals. The Dogs went 2 for 7 on the power play while the Capitals went 1 for 3.
The Dogs weekend continued Friday when they returned to the Dog Pound to host the Victoria Grizzlies. Each teams had their chances early, with the Grizzlies having the best opportunity to score early when Coltyn Hansen was stopped by Max Fenkell on a shorthanded breakaway. The Bulldogs would take a 1-0 lead just past the midway mark of the first when Brandon Adams kept the puck on a 3 on 1 rush and went high, short-side on Garrett Rockafellow. Assists on the play went Daniel Delbianco and Ryan Lough 10:50 into the first. The Grizzlies would pick up a penalty on the the goal celebration, and the Dogs would connect on the ensuing power play to lead 2-0 when Hunter Stewart scored in his Bulldog debut when Ryan Lough sent the puck to Chase Van Allen at the left point who threw a shot at the net that Stewart tipped up and over Rockafellow at 12:44 of the first. It was 3-0 Dogs exactly one minute later when Evan Tironese walked off the right wing wall and across the slot before throwing a low shot on net that Rockafellow stopped but he couldn’t find the rebound before Arty Kalashnikov fired it home on the scramble. Tryg Strand also picked up an assist at 13:44 of the first as the Dogs lead 3-0 after 20 minutes. Max Fenkell would again come up with a breakaway save on Coltyn Hansen to protect the lead in the second before the Dogs built the lead to 4-0 on another deflection as Tironese covered the point and kept the puck in the zone before walking into the high slot and throwing a puck at the net that Ryan Lough tipped top corner under the bar with Tyler Berkholtz also drawing an assist at 8:06 of the second. The Grizzlies would get on the board to trim the gap to 4-1 on the power play when Hansen brought the puck down the right wing with speed before finding Alex Holland wide open in the slot where he ripped a shot top corner, far side on Fenkell at 14:50 of the second. The Bulldogs would respond to the goal well with back to back long shifts in the Grizzlies zone resulting in several great scoring chances but they couldn’t build on the lead as it was 4-1 Dogs after two. Victoria made it a two goal game early in the third period as Max Fenkell made the initial save on a 2 on 1 rush but he had no chance on the rebound as Michael Sandor batted it out of mid-air to make it 4-2. Assists went to Mark McLellan and Jaden Schmeisser 4:52 into the third, but I thought the initial shot was taken by Chase Kaiser. The Bulldogs responded quickly to halt any comeback hopes, going up 5-2 less than two minutes later when Trent Dorais picked up a loose puck down low and jammed a wrap around home before Rockafellow could get back to the net. Lars Hepso also picked up a helper at 6:33 of the third. Less than a minute later it was 6-2 when Arty Kalashnikov scored his second of the game, one-timing home a Hunter Stewart pass from the slot with Brandon Adams also assisting at 7:20 of the third. The only goal the rest of the way came with the Grizzlies on a 5 on 3 power play with just over five minutes to play on a pretty set up finished by Chase Kaiser who one-timed a cross-ice feed into the open side before Fenkell could get over. Kevin Smith and Nolan DeJong had the helpers at 14:40 of the third but that’s as close as the Grizz would get.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 38-35 with Max Fenkell picking up the win while Garrett Rockafellow took the loss giving up the six goals before being replaced by Nicholas Taylor who stopped all five shots he faced in relief. The Dogs went 1 for 3 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 2 for 5.
The Dogs week finished Saturday night when they hosted the Powell River Kings. While the teams combined for just 11 shots in the opening period it was fast paced and entertaining hockey to watch. The game was scoreless until the final seconds of the opening period where the Kings connected on the power play with just 2.1 seconds left on the clock when Craig Dalrymple put a shot through traffic from the left point off the post and in. Teal Burns and Chris Williams picked up the assists at 19:58 of the first. The Kings would take a 2-0 lead early in the second on the rush as Jordan Benton carried the puck over the Dogs line down the left wing where he beat Max Fenkell with a quick release short-side from the top of the left circle that appeared to change direction off a Bulldog stick. Assists went to Evan Richardson and Chris Williams 3:27 into the second. Five minutes later it was 3-0 Kings when they won a battle on the boards before Teal Burns found Brandan Smith all alone at the right point who walked in and ripped a slap shot top corner blocker side on Fenkell off the back bar, with assists to Teal Burns and Daniel Schuler 8:29 into the second. Matt Larose would enter the game in relief at this point but it did little to stem the tide as the Kings went up 4-0 four minutes later when Teal Burns found a loose puck and tapped it in after Larose had made the initial save on a deflection. Craig Dalrymple picked up the only assist at 12:02 of the second. Just 3:07 later it was 5-0 when an attempted pass back of the Dogs net hit the end boards and the outside of the net before ending up on the tape of Evan Richardson all alone in the slot as he walked in on goal and roofed a backhand. The goal was unassisted at 15:09. Less than a minute later it was 6-0 Kings when J.P. Villeneuve<
